A Loyalist Printer Who Left His Mark on Both Sides of the Border

William Alexander Rind (1766–1842) was a significant early figure in Atlantic Canadian printing history. He was the son of Clementia Rind, a pioneering printer and publisher in Virginia, who assumed control of The Virginia Gazette after the death of her husband, William Rind. Growing up in a printing household, William Alexander Rind was immersed in the trade from an early age.

In 1788, Rind traveled to Prince Edward Island, then known as the Island of Saint John, a small but developing British colony. In Charlottetown he became foreman in the office of James Robertson, who had earlier, in 1787, established PEI’s first newsletter. A year later, Rind succeeded James Robertson as King’s Printer when Robertson relocated to Québec. As King’s Printer, Rind was responsible for producing official government publications, the most notable being The Royal Gazette and Miscellany of the Island of Saint John, the colony's primary newspaper and a vital source of news, legal notices, and government proclamations. Through this publication, he played a key role in shaping public discourse and the dissemination of information on the island.

Rind married Elizabeth Ann Bagnall, the daughter of a Philadelphia Loyalist, further cementing his ties to the Loyalist community that had resettled in the Maritimes following the American Revolution. His tenure as King’s Printer lasted nearly a decade, but in 1798, he decided to return to the United States, possibly due to financial struggles or political motivations.

Upon his return, Rind resumed his printing career and, in 1800, established the Washington Federalist, a newspaper based in Washington, D.C. This publication aligned with the Federalist political movement, advocating for a strong central government and engaging in the political debates of the early republic.

Accompanying Rind and his wife back to Virginia was his young brother-in-law, James Bagnall, then 15 years old. Bagnall apprenticed under Rind, learning the trade of printing and publishing. In 1804, Bagnall returned to Prince Edward Island to establish his own press, ensuring that the island’s printing industry continued to develop despite Rind’s departure.

Rind’s contributions to early North American printing were significant, bridging both Canadian and American publishing spheres. His work not only helped shape the printed record of Prince Edward Island but also continued the legacy of his family's involvement in the press. Though he left the region, his impact remained, as figures like James Bagnall carried on the tradition of printing in Atlantic Canada.

Image Source

University of Prince Edward Island, Robertson Library, Island Newspapers. (July 29, 1791), Royal Gazette, and Miscellany of the Island of Saint John. https://islandnewspapers.ca/islandora/object/newspapers-rgm:17910729

References

Library of Virginia, William Alexander Rind, https://www.lva.virginia.gov/virginiaprint/bios/bio.php?id=359

Wikipedia contributors. (2024, October 23). Clementina Rind. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clementina_Rind